


The Announcement

by illogicalbroccoli



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Bajor, Cardassia, Ficlet, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:07:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22757512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illogicalbroccoli/pseuds/illogicalbroccoli
Summary: The Cardassian government announces the end of the occupation.
Kudos: 9





	The Announcement

**Author's Note:**

> I started imagining how the announcement that Cardassia was withdrawing from Bajor might go. And then I wrote this. I hope it's of some interest!

The first clue that something was afoot was when the screens went dead. Hound-racing, news programmes, telenovellas, all went suddenly dark. On the public screens, the montage of patriotic images that filled their down-time also cut out. For a time, all screens remained black. Then they flickered to life again with an image of the Union emblem on a blue background, accompanied by solemn, martial music. This too lasted a while, long enough for the confusion and anxiety of those watching to begin to rise. Then, abruptly, the image shifted. Now it showed a figure seated at a polished desk. He wore subdued civilian clothing, his hair was grey, and his expression was grim. Beside him stood a man in Legate’s uniform. On the other side hung the flag of the Union. Cardassians who followed the political broadcasts could identify the seated man as the Chairman of the Detapa Council, and the other as the current head of Central Command. 

The Chairman stared fixedly ahead of him, where no doubt a holoprompter was cuing up his speech.  
“Citizens,” he said. “People of Cardassia. Men and women of the armed forces. Servants of the State.”

He cleared his throat, seemed to lose his place for a moment, then resumed. 

“After intensive consultation with Central Command, the sovereign Detapa Council of the Cardassian Union today voted unanimously that the Cardassian civil and military presence on Bajor will be terminated as of the 18th of Proval, Union Year 752. The Central Command will give orders for the withdrawal of all Cardassian forces on the surface of Bajor, in orbital facilities, and on all other bodies in the Bajoran system. All Cardassian civilians on Bajor shall be evacuated and shall follow the directions of the military authorities, who shall be responsible for their safe removal back to Cardassian Space.

“The post of Prefect of Bajor is hereby abolished, effective the date of withdrawal, and all institutions of Cardassian political administration on Bajor are likewise dissolved.”

The chairman licked his lips and glanced briefly over at the Legate. The soldier did not return or even acknowledge the look. The chairman turned back to the viewer and continued.

“This decision was not taken out as a result of any deficiency on the part of either the civil or the military personnel on Bajor, or out of a sense of defeat or despair. The Detapa Council and the Central Command salute all the loyal servants of the State who have worked so long to secure Bajor for the interests of both the Cardassian and Bajoran peoples. We wish the Bajoran people well in their foray into self-government. If and when a pan-Bajoran government is established, the Cardassian Union will extend to it all the normal courtesies that exist between independent states. 

“The Detapa Council and the Central Command wish to reassure the Cardassian people that no lasting impact will result from this development on either the strength or the prosperity of the Cardassian Union. The Detapa Council is currently drawing up plans for increasing the production of extant Union territories to offset any shortfall that might result from the loss of Bajoran resources and manufacturing. As a temporary measure, the Detapa Council may consider it necessary to imposing rationing of some goods, but this will be as limited as possible in both scope and duration. 

“The Cardassian People should feel no anxiety at any of these developments. Under the leadership of the Detapa Council and the Central Command, the Cardassian Union will weather every challenge and continue to grow from strength to strength. 

“Glory to the State! Long Live Cardassia!”

The screens went black, and remained black until the next morning. It was later explained that this was inteded to give the Cardassian people time to reflect upon the news without distraction. A handful of antisocial provocateurs who suggested that, in fact, a nervous Gil had forgotten to throw the switch restoring the normal feeds were swiftly arrested for spreading false rumours and slandering the armed forces of Cardassia.


End file.
